Offender Record · OFF-2026-140
Cleophus Prince Jr.
Also known as The Clairemont Killer, The Clairemont Ripper
Sex
Male
Race
Black
Height
5'10"
Born
1967
Custody
Incarcerated
States
AL, CA
Distinguishing features5'10" according to document provided
Custody
Incarcerated at California State Prison, Sacramento · #H99600
Custody record at the facility
Sentenced to death on November 5, 1993; as of 2025, remains on death row under California's execution moratorium since 2019.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Cleophus Prince Jr. was convicted of six counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances in 1993 for the rape and murder of six women in San Diego County, California between January and September 1990 in the Clairemont and University City neighborhoods. The victims ranged from 18 to 42 years old and were stabbed to death with kitchen knives taken from their residences. Prince is incarcerated on death row at California State Prison, Sacramento.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Jan 12, 1990, San Diego, California
First-degree murder
San Diego Police Department · San Diego County Superior Court · Docket CR130018 · California Penal Code § 187 · Arrested Mar 03, 1991 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (November 5, 1993)
Tiffany Schultz, age 20, stabbed to death at Canyon Ridge Apartments in Clairemont on January 12, 1990. Victim was stabbed more than 50 times according to investigation records.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Prince, Cleophus; Cleophus Prince; Cleophus Prince Jr.
Offense date Feb 16, 1990, San Diego, California
First-degree murder
San Diego Police Department · San Diego County Superior Court · Docket CR130018 · California Penal Code § 187 · Arrested Mar 03, 1991 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (November 5, 1993)
Janene Weinhold, age 21, stabbed and raped to death at Buena Vista Garden apartment complex in Clairemont on February 16, 1990. Semen evidence from this crime was matched to Prince via DNA testing, providing key evidence linking him to all six murders.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Prince, Cleophus; Cleophus Prince; Cleophus Prince Jr.
Offense date Apr 03, 1990, San Diego, California
First-degree murder
San Diego Police Department · San Diego County Superior Court · Docket CR130018 · California Penal Code § 187 · Arrested Mar 03, 1991 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (November 5, 1993)
Holly Tarr, age 18, stabbed to death in her brother's apartment at Buena Vista apartment complex in Clairemont on April 3, 1990. Prince wore victim's ring as a trophy around his neck.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Prince, Cleophus; Cleophus Prince; Cleophus Prince Jr.
Offense date May 21, 1990, San Diego, California
First-degree murder
San Diego Police Department · San Diego County Superior Court · Docket CR130018 · California Penal Code § 187 · Arrested Mar 03, 1991 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (November 5, 1993)
Elissa Keller, age 38, stabbed to death in her apartment at Colina Park Terrace on May 21, 1990. Crime scene approximately one block from Prince's residence at the time. Ring stolen from victim was recovered and linked to Prince.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Prince, Cleophus; Cleophus Prince; Cleophus Prince Jr.
Offense date Sep 13, 1990, San Diego, California
First-degree murder
San Diego Police Department · San Diego County Superior Court · Docket CR130018 · California Penal Code § 187 · Arrested Mar 03, 1991 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Death (November 5, 1993)
Pamela Clark, age 42, and her daughter stabbed to death in their University City home on September 13, 1990. Victim was member of health club where Prince's girlfriend worked; Prince had followed her from the gym.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Prince, Cleophus; Cleophus Prince; Cleophus Prince Jr.
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
6
Victims convicted
0
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1990–1990
Victim profile
Young women, Strangers, Acquaintances
Stated motive
Sexual
Range from home
local
Education
some high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Military discharge
honorable
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
San Diego County Jail · CA
Held Prince pending trial after extradition from Alabama
San Diego County Superior Court · CA
Agency case CR130018
Trial court; convicted July 13, 1993; sentenced to death November 5, 1993
San Diego County District Attorney's Office · CA
Agency case CR130018
Prosecuted six counts of first-degree murder and related charges
United States Navy · FE
Court-martialed Prince in October 1989 for larceny; recommended discharge January 1990
San Quentin State Prison · CA
Houses Prince on death row (transferred to California State Prison, Sacramento per 2025 records)
Birmingham Police Department · AL
Arrested Prince on March 3, 1991; officer Steven Lampley contacted him
San Diego Police Department · CA
Investigated murders and coordinated apprehension in Alabama
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
AL
Birmingham, Alabama
approx. 1967 – 1987 · Birthplace and childhood home until Navy enlistment
Birmingham, Alabama
Feb 1991 – Mar 1991 · Returned to Birmingham to visit family; arrested on unrelated theft charge, then for six San Diego murders
CA
San Diego, California
Jul 1987 – Jan 1990 · Naval Air Station Miramar; served as aviation structural mechanic · navy
San Diego, California
Dec 1989 – May 1990 · Buena Vista Gardens apartment complex, Clairemont neighborhood; lived with girlfriend Charla Lewis
San Diego, California
Jan 10, 1990 – 1990 · Expo Builder Supplies; worked 3:00 p.m. to midnight shift
San Diego, California
May 1990 – Sep 1990 · Top of the Hill Apartments, eastern San Diego; lived with girlfriend Charla Lewis
San Diego, California
Sep 1990 – Feb 1991 · Nacomm Communications; installed underground cable television
San Diego, California
Feb 04, 1991 – Feb 04, 1991 · Arrested in health club parking lot for attempted burglary of Scripps Ranch residence; provided blood and saliva samples
San Diego, California
Mar 03, 1991 – Jul 13, 1993 · San Diego County jail pending trial; convicted July 13, 1993
San Quentin, California
approx. 1993 – present · San Quentin State Prison death row; transferred to California State Prison, Sacramento
Photographs by Year
Photo from en.wikipedia.org
Photo from case-law.vlex.com
Timeline
Jul 24, 1967
Cleophus Prince Jr. born in Birmingham, Alabama.
Jul 1987
Prince enlisted in U.S. Navy as aviation structural mechanic and was stationed at Naval Air Station Miramar in San Diego.
Oct 1989
Prince was court-martialed for larceny while serving in the Navy.
Jan 1990
Prince was discharged from the Navy and moved to Buena Vista Gardens apartment complex in Clairemont, San Diego with girlfriend Charla Lewis.
Jan 10, 1990
Prince began employment at Expo Builder Supplies in San Diego, working 3:00 p.m. to midnight shifts.
Jan 12, 1990
Prince stabbed Tiffany Schultz, age 20, to death at Canyon Ridge Apartments in Clairemont.
Feb 16, 1990
Prince stabbed and raped Janene Weinhold, age 21, to death at Buena Vista Garden apartment complex in Clairemont.
Apr 03, 1990
Prince stabbed Holly Tarr, age 18, to death in her brother's apartment at Buena Vista apartment complex.
May 01, 1990
Prince moved to Top of the Hill Apartments in eastern San Diego with girlfriend Charla Lewis.
May 21, 1990
Prince stabbed Elissa Keller, age 38, to death in her apartment at Colina Park Terrace in San Diego.
Sep 13, 1990
Prince stabbed Pamela Clark, age 42, and her daughter Amber Clark, age 18, to death in their University City home in San Diego.
Feb 04, 1991
Prince was arrested in the parking lot of a health club in San Diego after attempting to break into a Scripps Ranch residence; he provided blood and saliva samples for DNA testing.
Mar 03, 1991
Prince was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama on six counts of murder after being extradited by San Diego authorities based on DNA evidence matching him to Janene Weinhold's murder.
Jul 13, 1993
Prince was convicted by jury on six counts of first-degree murder and 21 other felony charges including rape, burglary, and robbery.
Jul 17, 1993
Jury recommended the death sentence after deliberating one day.
Nov 05, 1993
Superior Court Judge Charles R. Hayes sentenced Prince to death.
Apr 30, 2007
California Supreme Court upheld Prince's death sentence in a 159-page unanimous ruling that dismissed all defense appeals.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other · Serial Killer Calendar ·
Cleophus Prince Jr“As of 2025 under sentence of death at California State Prison, Sacramento.”
Other · Wikipedia ·
Cleophus Prince Jr.“Cleophus Prince Jr. (born July 24, 1967) is an American serial killer who was convicted and sentenced to death in 1993 for the rape and murder of six women in San Diego County, California.”
Court record · Supreme Court of California ·
People v. Prince (S036105)“Defendant appeals from a judgment of the San Diego County Superior Court imposing a sentence of death following his conviction of six counts of first degree murder.”
Court record · vLex United States ·
People v. Prince (vLex)“Defendant and his girlfriend Charla Lewis moved into an apartment in the Buena Vista Gardens apartment complex in the Clairemont area of San Diego in December 1989. Defendant was employed by Expo Builder Supplies beginning on January 10, 1990.”
Other · Murderpedia ·
Cleophus Prince“Prince was convicted of murdering six women Tiffany Schultz, 20; Janene Weinhold, 21, who was also raped; Holly Tarr, 18; Elissa Keller, 38; and Pamela Clark, 42, and her daughter, Amber, 18 who were stabbed to death in their homes in Clairemont, University City and East San Diego.”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Prince, Cleophus“Stabbed Tiffany Schultz (20) to death at the Canyon Ridge Apartments in Clairemont. Stabbed to death Janene Weinhold (21) at the Buena Vista Garden apartment complex. Murdered Holly Tarr (18) in her brother's apartment at the Buena Vista apartment complex. Murdered Elissa Keller in her apartment at Colina Park Terrace. Murdered Pamela Clark (42) and her daughter, Amber (18) in their University City home.”
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